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“What are we going to
do?” Annie screamed out.
“I don't know, James
said, I really don't know!”
“We have to come up
with an idea on what to do with it.”
“We could disarm it.”
“How? We both
have no clue on how to disarm a bomb.”
“WHAT! Didn't they
teach you that in ‘contact’ school?”
“NO! Now don't get
mouthy with me Chambers. Remember, I control your pay check.”
“Well in a few minutes,
I won’t have to give a rat's ass about my pay check because, hum, I'M BE
DEAD! Now think of something!”
“We could throw it
out the porthole. It would sink straight to the bottom and then explode,
with no harm done to us or Titanic.”
“It's too heavy for
both of us. Come on, think of a better plan.”
“I don't see you coming
up with any ideas.”
“Why don't we through
it out the porthole?”
“What did I just say??
Oh, go look around to see if Hans left some notes behind. Maybe there
will be something there that will help us. Go look over in that desk.”
James went over to
the desk. The top draw was stuffed with gobs of paper. Written
on them were instructions written in German.
“Annie, you know a
little German was does it say on these papers?”
“I don't know that
much!”
“Would you just try,
we don't have much time left.
Annie took them and
started to flip through them. She finally found a sheet that had
some info on it on how Hans made the bomb.
“It says that most
of the wiring is in the main console on that table.”
“How should I open
it.”
“I don't know, this
is becoming too stress full. Why don't we throw it out one of the
portholes. It will go off in the ocean and there will be no harm
done.” Annie said.
“NO! NO! This
little rime works for me all the time. Red we're dead. Blue,
we're through. Yellow we're mellow.”
“Your crappy rime won’t
work in this case because the wires are Green, Purple, and Orange!
Out the porthole it goes!”
“I don't know.
That sounds like the easy way out. “
I don't care if it's
the easy way out, there's a minute and a half left. We can either
throw it out the porthole or get killed. Which is it going to be??”
“A minute and a half!
The easy way out is what we're going to do.” James said as he picked out
one of the crates filled with TNT.
Together James
and Annie dumped the large bomb out the porthole. There was 10 second
left on the timer when the bomb hit the water. A few moments later
the bomb exploded with a huge bust of water rushing to the surface.
“Now, what?”
“We get the hell out
of here! That’s what!”
The sound of shattering
glass is what woke him. The wineglasses had toppled over. The
time is 12:30 am. He noticed that the ship was at an unruly slant.
James could hear objects, like dishes, toppling over onto the floor somewhere,
far below. James went over to the door and rang the bell. The
door opened and Etches walked in.
“What are you still
doing here? The ship is sinking!” Etches exclaimed. “Get your
life belt, from on top of your armoire, and get up to the Boat Deck.
Here’s my boat pass.”
“I could never take
your boat pass.”
“You must take it,
I’m not leaving this ship until all of my passengers are off safely.”
“All right, if you
insist. Has Miss Banks gotten onto a boat yet?” James asked
“Yes, she is safe in
Boat #6, which departed fifteen minutes ago. Before she got into
it, though, she told me to make sure you were all right. Now get
up to the boats!” said Etches.
“Wait, what about Mrs.
Brentmore?”
“The last time I saw
her was about two minutes ago, when she was rushing down below. I
think her cabin is on E-Deck. She was mumbling something about a
very important object she had left in her cabin.”
“Oh, dear God!
E-Deck is most likely more then half flooded by know! Thank you Etches,”
James said as he ran out of his Stateroom.
James ran to
the Lifts, but lift attendant tried to stop him,
“I’m sorry, sir, but
the lifts are closed,” the attendant said.
“Fine, you won’t take
me down then I’ll go down myself!” James said as he pushed the attendant
out of the way.
With the attendant
on the floor, James jumped into the lift, closed the gates and pushed the
lever down for the lift to move.
“Come on you piece
of crap! Move faster! Modern technology, my ass!”
He finally reached
E-Deck and Chambers jumped from the lift and proceed to find Daisy.
As he traveled forward, James saw something lying in the middle of the
corridor. It was Daisy! She had apparently passed out while
going back to her cabin. It was getting late and the water was starting
to come into the hallway and the walls moaned with the water pressure.
He tried to wake Daisy, but she was out cold. To help her start to
breathe again, James rolled her over and undid her corset. She still
wouldn’t wake up. The water was now starting to lap at her feet.
“The hell with this,”
James said and through her over his shoulders and started down the hallway.
The water was now starting
to come in faster and the walls moaned loader with the constant pressure
of the in coming water. As James pulled Daisy into the lift he heard
the water pouring over one of the all too short bulkheads. He closed
the gate and started back. Then all of a sudden a sound of bursting
seams and wrenching metal tore through the near silence in the air.
One of the bulkheads had bucked under the pressure and now water started
to pour into the lift shaft! Water came in at an amazing rate.
It came up into the moving lift and starting to swirl around Daisy who
was on the floor.
“Shit!” shouted James.
Then the lift short
circuited and came to rest, falling five feet short of the D-Deck landing
and leaving a gap at the top of the lift car.
“Double Shit!!” shouted
James.
James forced the gates
open and grabbed Daisy to pushed her limp body up through the gap.
The lift is filling fast and James has barely enough time to save himself.
The lift was now totally
submerged. The lights from E-Deck showed the eerie green of the water.
Daisy started to stir
and she finally woke up.
“What happened? Why
am I wet?” she questioned.
“You passed out in
a hallway down on E-Deck and almost died, if it weren’t for me,” James
explained.
“The last thing I remember
is taking the lift down here and then I blacked out.
“We have to hurry,
the water is starting to seep through those doors.” James said. “Do you
have the strength to get up those stairs?”
“I don't know, let
go and see if there’s a steward around. I need something to drink.”
she said
They went through
the Reception Room and into the Dinning Saloon. There wasn’t a steward
to be found.
“You wait here, I go
and see if can dig something up for you in the Pantry.
Daisy sat down
at one of the tables in the huge Dining Saloon, while James went through
the doors and into the Pantry.
Once in the Pantry, James went to the
Refrigerator that had a sign stating, “1st-Class Saloon Wine and Ale”.
He opened it to find all wine. Looking very quickly through the cabinet,
James came across a bottle whiskey. James took two glasses and the
whiskey and returned to the Saloon.
“Drink as much as this
as possible, if you have enough your body will start to get num.
Once we’re the water, you will have a better chance at surviving.” James
explained.
They sat together watching the water very
slowly creep into the room. Then an all too formally sound of buckling
of metal plates. Another bulkhead had burst and the water was starting
to seep through the carpeting and through the doors to the Reception Room.
They swung open when the water flowed passed them. James and Daisy
sat and drank their whiskey until the water flowed through half of the
room. With the rising water, chairs started to float around and the
dishes and silver fell to the floor.
“We have to get out
of here,” Daisy said. “We can’t go back through the Reception Room.”
“I saw a spiral staircase
in the Galley, we can escape that way.” James said as they stumbled
into the Galley, half-drunk. The stairs led into the a la Carte Restaurant.
Daisy and James ran through the Restaurant to find that the doors were
locked. James started to bang on the doors while Daisy wandered aimlessly
through the room.
“La, La, La, La LaaaaaaaaaaHey!
Lookey here!” said as she flicked the lead glass windows with a plink.
“IT’S GLASS! Watch This! What kind of sound does glass make
when it brakes? Let find out! Daisy said as she threw a chair
through the windows separating the Café Parisian and Restaurant.
She then climbed through the now shattered window and said, Hey! Look at
me! I’m, uh, who broke the window?!”
“Daisy! What
hell you are doing!? Use the door!”
“Ahohhhh! Hang
on I’ll be right there!” she said as she opened the doors connecting
the Restaurant to the Parisien Café.
“Okay, let’s go,” James
said.
“Go where?” Daisy
asked.
“Off this damn ship!”
“Oh, okay! How?”
“Crap! Just follow
me Daisy.”
James walked down to
the D-Deck Reception and meet Annie. The room had white paneling
and the low reddish glow of what was left of the sun was flowing through
the lead glass bay-windows. Along with the glow from the sun, the
room was lit with light fixtures on the richly molded ceiling. Annie
was sitting at one of the table settings. James walks over to her
and sits down.
“Geez, there’s
a lot of people in here,” he comments.
“Yeah, look over
there, it’s the Astors,” Annie mentions, “ He’s one of the wealthiest people
in America and on this ship. His family stuck it rich in the fur
trade and has since gone into the hotel industry. He is the part
owner of the Waldorf-Astoria in New York. See his wife there?
She’s nineteen and she’s now five-months pregnant.
“Really?
What about that elderly couple over there?”
“That’s Isador
and Ida Straus. They are the founders of Macy’s Department Store
in New York. He is a former member of Congress and a
personal friend of former-President Grover Clevland. Oh, and look
over there, here come the Ryersons. I’m surprised to see that Emily
has showed up for dinner.”
“Why?”
“Her eldest was
killed in an auto accident last week in Pennsylvania or so I’ve heard.
The funeral is going to take place two days after we arrive in New York.
She rarely leaves her cabin, never mind making public appearances. Standing
over there by the Duff-Gordon’s is Cal Hockley and Ruth Burkat-Backer.
Her daughter, Rose is scheduled to marry Cal sometime in the near future.
She’s standing over there with that guy. I haven’t seen him around.
Seems odd, I thought I saw someone who looked just like him on the 3rd-Class
Promenade. He was drawing in a leather notebook. Well, anyway,
Cal is a suitor to Rose and Ruth is making her marry him to save her reputation.
Her husband just died last year and left a bunch of bad debts. I
personally think he is too slick and a real ass. Shall we go eat
now?”
“Yes, I’m starving,”
James said as he got up from his seat.
“I’ll prompt
you on your next mission. I’ll start you out slow and then we’ll
move to something a little more difficult,” Annie says as she takes James’s
arm.
Together they walk
into the Dinning Room through a set of double-doors. They take one
of the tables set for four people. The room is huge, almost 115 feet
long and spans the full width of the ship. A faint orange glow flows
through the lead glass windows. As the Reception Room, the Dinning
Saloon are painted white with richly molded ceilings. James eased
into the green leather chair. A waiter walks up and pours wine into
one of the many glasses already on the table.
“Thank you, can you
please bring me a shot of whiskey?” James says.
“Of course sir.
I’ll be right back,” the waiter says.
The waiter leaves and starts to talk about
the case. James trails off and tunes her out. Listening to
the conversation that is going on at the next table. It was the largest
table in the Dinning Saloon with room to seat about 12 people. That
was the table where all of the rich and famous usually sat and talked.
The strange kid, Rose was talking to in the Reception, was sitting there
as well.
“Tell us of the accommodations
in 3rd-Class, Mr. Dawson. I hear they are quite good on this ship,”
Ruth says.
“The best I’ve seen,
ma’am. Hardly any rats,” Dawson says and everyone laughs.
Just then the waiter
walks back with the whiskey James had order earlier.
“The Pantry only had
bottles of wine on stock so I had to go up the bar by the Smoking Room.
I brought the bottle with me just in case you wanted more. Shall
I leave it here?”
“No thank you, I only
wanted one,” James replies.
As the waiter was walking
away, the steward with the caviar, walked up.
“How do you take your
caviar, sir?” he asked.
“On crackers, if you
please,”
“Of, course and you
ma’am?”
“Same. Caviar
on a cracker.”
James scoops some of
the caviar into one of his many spoons and puts it into the “cat-a-polt
position.” He pulls the spoon back and the caviar flies through the
air and hits Dawson on the side of the head.
“What the ****!?” Dawson
yells out as everyone at his table bursts out laughing.
“Now, why did you do
that?” Annie asked and moves on with the conversation. As I
was saying, we have reason to believe that the Conkling’s Steel mill has
been cutting corners in their production of steel. They were the
company who provided the steel for this very ship.”
“Damn, that kid was
starting to annoy me. Anyway, who provided us with this information?”
“There’s a women, traveling
in 2nd-Class, who used to work for the Conklings. She said that she
and her brother were scheduled to travel on the SS Philadelphia, but the
departure of that ship was canceled and all of it’s passengers were transferred
to the Titanic. Titanic needed the coal from the Philadelphia, there’s
a coal stick going on, you know. Tell me something, why did you just
fling that caviar at that man over there?”
“He’s a fraud.
He looks like he’s from 1st-Class, but he holds a 3rd-Class ticket.
This isn’t right,” James explained as he gets up.
“Don’t start anything
big,” Annie warned.
James gets up from
the table and walks up to the steward standing by one of the many support
columns. The steward gets a stern face on and snips his fingers.
Two other, larger stewards walk beside him as they approach, the Dawson
table. As they walk up, the people sitting at the Dawson table look
up from their entrees. The steward taps Dawson on the shoulder.
“It has been brought
to our attention that you hold a 3rd-Class ticket. This is a 1st-Class
area and your presence here is most inappropriate. Dave, Justin,
please show this man to the 3rd-Class areas and make shore he stays there.”
The two men grab Dawson and drag him out
of the Dinning Saloon and out of sight into the Reception Room.
“Make it count Rose!
Make it count!” Dawson yells as he’s dragged from the room.
A few moment later,
everyone in the Dinning Saloon has turn back to there tables and started
up from where they left off in their conversation. James returns
to his table and rejoins Annie.
“We really don’t know
how the Conklings are cutting corners, but we have a lead. The passenger
I mentioned before is named Jane Leene. We got all of this information
from a private-eye I put on the Conklings. Her name is Daisy Brentmore.
She’s traveling here in 1st-Class, cabin E-17, at the bureau’s expense,”
Annie explained further.
“I’ve worked with Daisy
before; on one or two of my other missions. We became somewhat friends.
I didn’t know she was onboard!”
“She’s here to also
help you along with you missions. If you can’t find, myself, then
go to her to see if she can help. In fact she’s sitting over there
with the Allisons.”
James turns and indeed,
sitting across the room was Daisy with the Allisons. She is wearing
a dark blue dress, she always loved the color blue. Just then a waiter
walked up with their entree. He places a plate of lamb with mint
sauce in front of James. James picks up one of the forks and starts
to eat. The lamb is the best he’s had in years, not to mention its
from an ocean liner. Annie goes on to explain the mission.
“When Ms. Leene learned
she was pregnant, she up and left the Conkling Residence with her older,
very protective brother. Go to the purser and ask
which cabin she is staying in. Then send word to her to meet somewhere.
I suggest the Poop Deck, there’s an easy entrance to it through the Well
Deck, from the aft Promenade Deck. You’ll see the way once you’re
there.”
“I’ll go and send that
message now. The purser’s office is just upstairs. I’ll be
right back,” James said as he put his napkin on the table.
He left the Dinning
Saloon and went to the Purser’s Office.
“Yes, may I help you?”
the Purser asked from behind his counter.
“I would like the cabin
number of 2nd-Class passenger Jane Leene.”
The Purser turns and
starts to flip through his passenger book. “Ms. Leene is in cabin
E-85. Would you like me to send her a message. She’ll get within
the hour.”
“Yes that would be
nice,” James says as the Purser takes a pad and pen. “I would like
it to say: Ms. Leene, I would like to meet with you on the Poop Deck, this
concerns the ordeal you went through with the Conklings. J. Chambers.”
“Got it, I’ll send
it right away.”
“Thank you,” James
says and returns to the Dinning Saloon.
“The message will be
sent within the hour. What happens if she doesn’t show?” James
asked as he takes another bit. “What’s the point of this mission, anyway?”
“If she doesn’t show,
personally go to her cabin and speak with her. Try to find out why
she left the Conklings and what other information you can.”
“Oh, I’ll get the most
out of her.”
“The point of this
mission is prove that Conkling Steel has indeed been cutting corners in
their production. Maybe there’s a note or letter or something.
Mr. Conkling is going to keep this a closely guarded secret, so if there
was a letter or note, he’ll keep it with him. Try to get into his
cabin,” Annie said as the waiter placed desert on the table.
For the remainder of
the meal, Annie and James just talked.
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